Natural disasters and university enrolment: Evidence from L’Aquila earthquake

Although there are several studies looking at the effect of natural disasters on economic growth, less attention has been dedicated to their impact on educational outcomes, especially in more developed countries. We use the synthetic control method to examine how the L’Aquila earthquake affected subsequent enrolment at the local university. This issue has wide economic implications as the University of L’Aquila made a large contribution to the local economy before the earthquake. Our results indicate that the earthquake had no statistically significant effect on first-year enrolment at the University of L’Aquila in the three academic years after the disaster. This natural disaster, however, caused a compositional change in the first-year student population, with a substantial increase in the number of students aged 21 or above. This is likely to have been driven by post-disaster measures adopted in order to mitigate the expected negative effects on enrolment triggered by the earthquake.

The comparative utility of fluorescence in situ hybridization and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for FOXO1 gene rearrangement and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion transcripts have become routine ancillary tools for the diagnosis of alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas (ARMS). Here we summarize our experience of these adjunct diagnostic modalities at a tertiary center, presenting the largest comparative series of FISH and PCR for suspected or possible ARMS to date. All suspected or possible ARMS tested by FISH or PCR for FOXO1 rearrangement or PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion transcripts over a 7-year period were included. FISH and PCR results were correlated with clinical and histologic findings. One hundred samples from 95 patients had FISH and/or PCR performed. FISH had higher rates of technical success (96.8 %) compared with PCR (88 %). Where both tests were utilized successfully, there was high concordance rate between them (94.9 %). In 24 histologic ARMS tested for FISH or PCR, 83.3 % were translocation-positive (all for PAX3-FOXO1 by PCR) and included 3 histologic solid variants. In 76 cases where ARMS was excluded, there were 3 potential false-positive cases with FISH but none with PCR. PCR had similar sensitivity (85.7 %) and better specificity (100 %) in aiding the diagnosis of ARMS, compared with FISH (85 and 95.8 %, respectively). All solid variant ARMS harbored FOXO1 gene rearrangements and PAX3-FOXO1 ARMS were detected to the exclusion of PAX7-FOXO1. In comparative analysis, both FISH and PCR are useful in aiding the diagnosis of ARMS and excluding its sarcomatous mimics. FISH is more reliable technically but has less specificity than PCR. In cases where ARMS is in the differential diagnosis, it is optimal to perform both PCR and FISH: both have similar sensitivities for detecting ARMS, but FISH may confirm or exclude cases that are technically unsuccessful with PCR, while PCR can detect specific fusion transcripts that may be useful prognostically.

Angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma: comparison of fluorescence in situ hybridization and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction as adjunct diagnostic modalities

Angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (AFH) is a rare soft tissue neoplasm of intermediate biologic potential and uncertain differentiation, most often arising in the extremities of children and young adults. Although it has characteristic histologic features of a lymphoid cuff surrounding nodules of ovoid cells with blood-filled cystic cavities, diagnosis is often difficult due to its morphologic heterogeneity and lack of specific immunoprofile. Angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma is associated with recurrent chromosomal translocations, leading to characteristic EWSR1-CREB1, EWSR1-ATF1, and, rarely, FUS-ATF1 gene fusions; fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), detecting EWSR1 or FUS rearrangements, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for EWSR1-CREB1 and EWSR1-ATF1 fusion transcripts have become routine ancillary tools. We present a large comparative series of FISH and RT-PCR for AFH. Seventeen neoplasms (from 16 patients) histologically diagnosed as AFH were assessed for EWSR1 rearrangements or EWSR1-CREB1 and EWSR1-ATF1 fusion transcripts. All 17 were positive for either FISH or RT-PCR or both. Of 16, 14 (87.5%) had detectable EWSR1-CREB1 or EWSR1-ATF1 fusion transcripts by RT-PCR, whereas 13 (76.5%) of 17 had positive EWSR1 rearrangement with FISH. All 13 of 13 non-AFH control neoplasms failed to show EWSR1-CREB1 or EWSR1-ATF1 fusion transcripts, whereas EWSR1 rearrangement was present in 2 of these 13 cases (which were histopathologically myoepithelial neoplasms). This study shows that EWSR1-CREB1 or EWSR1-ATF1 fusions predominate in AFH (supporting previous reports that FUS rearrangement is rare in AFH) and that RT-PCR has a comparable detection rate to FISH for AFH. Importantly, cases of AFH can be missed if RT-PCR is not performed in conjunction with FISH, and RT-PCR has the added advantage of specificity, which is crucial, as EWSR1 rearrangements are present in a variety of neoplasms in the histologic differential diagnosis of AFH, that differ in behavior and treatment.

Tailoring Magnetic, Mechanical and Dielectric Properties of Magnetorheological Elastomers based on Natural Rubber and Iron by Magnetic Field Assisted Curing for Possible Applications

If magnetism is universal in nature, magnetic materials are ubiquitous. A life without magnetism is unthinkable and a day without the influence of a magnetic material is unimaginable. They find innumerable applications in the form of many passive and active devices namely, compass, electric motor, generator, microphone, loud speaker, maglev train, magnetic resonance imaging, data recording and reading, hadron collider etc. The list is endless. Such is the influence of magnetism and magnetic materials in ones day to day life. With the advent of nanoscience and nanotechnology, along with the emergence of new areas/fields such as spintronics, multiferroics and magnetic refrigeration, the importance of magnetism is ever increasing and attracting the attention of researchers worldwide. The search for a fluid which exhibits magnetism has been on for quite some time. However nature has not bestowed us with a magnetic fluid and hence it has been the dream of many researchers to synthesize a magnetic fluid which is thought to revolutionize many applications based on magnetism. The discovery of a magnetic fluid by Jacob Rabinow in the year 1952 paved the way for a new branch of Physics/Engineering which later became magnetic fluids. This gave birth to a new class of material called magnetorheological materials. Magnetorheological materials are considered superior to electrorheological materials in that magnetorheology is a contactless operation and often inexpensive.Most of the studies in the past on magnetorheological materials were based on magnetic fluids. Recently the focus has been on the solid state analogue of magnetic fluids which are called Magnetorheological Elastomers (MREs). The very word magnetorheological elastomer implies that the rheological properties of these materials can be altered by the influence of an external applied magnetic field and this process is reversible. If the application of an external magnetic field modifies the viscosity of a magnetic fluid, the effect of external magnetic stimuli on a magnetorheological elastomer is in the modification of its stiffness. They are reversible too. Magnetorheological materials exhibit variable stiffness and find applications in adaptive structures of aerospace, automotive civil and electrical engineering applications. The major advantage of MRE is that the particles are not able to settle with time and hence there is no need of a vessel to hold it. The possibility of hazardous waste leakage is no more with a solid MRE. Moreover, the particles in a solid MRE will not affect the performance and durability of the equipment. Usually MR solids work only in the pre yield region while MR fluids, typically work in the post yield state. The application of an external magnetic field modifies the stiffness constant, shear modulus and loss modulus which are complex quantities. In viscoelastic materials a part of the input energy is stored and released during each cycle and a part is dissipated as heat. The storage modulus G′ represents the capacity of the material to store energy of deformation, which contribute to material stiffness. The loss modulusG′′ represents the ability of the material to dissipate the energy of deformation. Such materials can find applications in the form of adaptive vibration absorbers (ATVAs), stiffness tunable mounts and variable impedance surfaces. MREs are an important material for automobile giants and became the focus of this research for eventual automatic vibration control, sound isolation, brakes, clutches and suspension systems

Transcriptomic comparison between two Vitis vinifera L. varieties (Trincadeira and Touriga Nacional) in abiotic stress conditions

Predicted climate changes announce an increase of extreme environmental conditions including drought and excessive heat and light in classical viticultural regions. Thus, understanding how grapevine responds to these conditions and how different genotypes can adapt, is crucial for informed decisions on accurate viticultural actions. Global transcriptome analyses are useful for this purpose as the response to these abiotic stresses involves the interplay of complex and diverse cascades of physiological, cellular and molecular events. The main goal of the present work was to evaluate the response to diverse imposed abiotic stresses at the transcriptome level and to compare the response of two grapevine varieties with contrasting physiological trends, Trincadeira (TR) and Touriga Nacional (TN).

β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) and isomers: Distribution in different food web compartments of Thau lagoon, French Mediterranean Sea

The neurotoxin BMAA (β-N-methylamino-l-alanine) and its isomer DAB (2,4-diaminobutyric acid) have been detected in seafood worldwide, including in Thau lagoon (French Mediterranean Sea). A cluster of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease associated with BMAA, has also been observed in this region. Mussels, periphyton (i.e. biofilms attached to mussels) and plankton were sampled between July 2013 and October 2014, and analyzed using HILIC-MS/MS. BMAA, DAB and AEG (N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine) were found in almost all the samples of the lagoon. BMAA and DAB were present at 0.58 and 0.83, 2.6 and 3.3, 4.0 and 7.2 μg g−1 dry weight in plankton collected with nets, periphyton and mussels, respectively. Synechococcus sp., Ostreococcus tauri, Alexandrium catenella and eight species of diatoms were cultured and screened for BMAA and analogs. While Synechococcus sp., O. tauri and A. catenella did not produce BMAA under our culture conditions, four diatoms species contained both BMAA and DAB. Hence, diatoms may be a source of BMAA for mussels. Unlike other toxins produced by microalgae, BMAA and DAB were detected in significant amounts in tissues other than digestive glands in mussels.

Examining the growth and evolution of magnetic fields in clusters of galaxies: a numerical perspective

Magnetic fields are ubiquitous in galaxy cluster atmospheres and have a variety of astrophysical and cosmological consequences. Magnetic fields can contribute to the pressure support of clusters, affect thermal conduction, and modify the evolution of bubbles driven by active galactic nuclei. However, we currently do not fully understand the origin and evolution of these fields throughout cosmic time. Furthermore, we do not have a general understanding of the relationship between magnetic field strength and topology and other cluster properties, such as mass and X-ray luminosity. We can now begin to answer some of these questions using large-scale cosmological magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the formation of galaxy clusters including the seeding and growth of magnetic fields. Using large-scale cosmological simulations with the FLASH code combined with a simplified model of the acceleration of cosmic rays responsible for the generation of radio halos, we find that the galaxy cluster frequency distribution and expected number counts of radio halos from upcoming low-frequency sur- veys are strongly dependent on the strength of magnetic fields. Thus, a more complete understanding of the origin and evolution of magnetic fields is necessary to understand and constrain models of diffuse synchrotron emission from clusters. One favored model for generating magnetic fields is through the amplification of weak seed fields in active galactic nuclei (AGN) accretion disks and their subsequent injection into cluster atmospheres via AGN-driven jets and bubbles. However, current large-scale cosmological simulations cannot directly include the physical processes associated with the accretion and feedback processes of AGN or the seeding and merging of the associated SMBHs. Thus, we must include these effects as subgrid models. In order to carefully study the growth of magnetic fields in clusters via AGN-driven outflows, we present a systematic study of SMBH and AGN subgrid models. Using dark-matter only cosmological simulations, we find that many important quantities, such as the relationship between SMBH mass and galactic bulge velocity dispersion and the merger rate of black holes, are highly sensitive to the subgrid model assumptions of SMBHs. In addition, using MHD calculations of an isolated cluster, we find that magnetic field strengths, extent, topology, and relationship to other gas quantities such as temperature and density are also highly dependent on the chosen model of accretion and feedback. We use these systematic studies of SMBHs and AGN inform and constrain our choice of subgrid models, and we use those results to outline a fully cosmological MHD simulation to study the injection and growth of magnetic fields in clusters of galaxies. This simulation will be the first to study the birth and evolution of magnetic fields using a fully closed accretion-feedback cycle, with as few assumptions as possible and a clearer understanding of the effects of the various parameter choices.

The emergence and evolution of optimistic expectations in schoolchildren

When we study optimism in children, we note the temporary emergence of a bias that leads them to make optimistic predictions. In this study we intend to learn more about changes that can be observed in the optimistic bias of 6- to 12-year old schoolchildren when they predict future events, and in the way they justify those predictions. A total of 77 pupils participated in this study; we evaluated each one of them individually with a Piagetian interview, asking them to formulate predictions about a series of hypothetical situations. After analyzing whether a child's prediction implied that the situation would maintain itself or would change for better or for worse, we classified the justifications they provided for their predictions. Results show that these subjects regarded positive change as more likely in the case of psychological or hybrid events than for purely biological ones, and that younger children tended to display a greater bias in favor of the likelihood of positive change. These younger children justified their predictions stating that nature or the passing of time could be responsible for the changes, without needing further intervention on the part of other agents. Older children, on the other hand, tended to provide similar kinds of explanations to justify their expectation of stasis.

Study of the development and evolution of seasonal thermocline and turbulent processes in the northern parts of Persian Gulf using numerical modeling

The Persian Gulf (PG) is a semi-enclosed shallow sea which is connected to open ocean through the Strait of Hormuz. Thermocline as a suddenly decrease of temperature in subsurface layer in water column leading to stratification happens in the PG seasonally. The forcing comprise tide, river inflow, solar radiation, evaporation, northwesterly wind and water exchange with the Oman Sea that influence on this process. In this research, analysis of the field data and a numerical (Princeton Ocean Model, POM) study on the summer thermocline development in the PG are presented. The Mt. Mitchell cruise 1992 salinity and temperature observations show that the thermocline is effectively removed due to strong wind mixing and lower solar radiation in winter but is gradually formed and developed during spring and summer; in fact as a result of an increase in vertical convection through the water in winter, vertical gradient of temperature is decreased and thermocline is effectively removed. Thermocline development that evolves from east to west is studied using numerical simulation and some existing observations. Results show that as the northwesterly wind in winter, at summer transition period, weakens the fresher inflow from Oman Sea, solar radiation increases in this time interval; such these factors have been caused the thermocline to be formed and developed from winter to summer even over the northwestern part of the PG. The model results show that for the more realistic monthly averaged wind experiments the thermocline develops as is indicated by summer observations. The formation of thermocline also seems to decrease the dissolved oxygen in water column due to lack of mixing as a result of induced stratification. Over most of PG the temperature difference between surface and subsurface increases exponentially from March until May. Similar variations for salinity differences are also predicted, although with smaller values than observed. Indeed thermocline development happens more rapidly in the Persian Gulf from spring to summer. Vertical difference of temperature increases to 9 centigrade degrees in some parts of the case study zone from surface to bottom in summer. Correlation coefficients of temperature and salinity between the model results and measurements have been obtained 0.85 and 0.8 respectively. The rate of thermcline development was found to be between 0.1 to 0.2 meter per day in the Persian Gulf during the 6 months from winter to early summer. Also it is resulted from the used model that turbulence kinetic energy increases in the northwestern part of the PG from winter to early summer that could be due to increase in internal waves activities and stability intensified through water column during this time.

Natural Disaster and Intangible Heritage: Beyond the Horizon

When 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal in 2015, many monuments, temples and houses turned into rubbles killing more than 8,000 people and injuring above 21,000. This unfortunate and tragic natural disaster brought international attention to Nepal. But in this time of despair and pain there was a sign of hope that should be acknowledged well, the spirit of community facing the disaster. This paper is about the indigenous community of Kathmandu on how they organized an important traditional festival just four months after the disaster when most the people were still living in the makeshifts, along with the smaller aftershock continuing almost everyday. In the country like Nepal with numerous intangible heritages, which is, still living is not taken seriously by the concerned authorities and mostly been neglected. It is the indigenous community who has been carrying out those heritages, as they are inseparable aspect of the social life. With this paper it tries look at the community involvement and intangible heritage of Kathmandu Valley, which is a part of my PhD research thesis.

Acuerdo Marco de Cooperación entre la Universidad de Cuenca (Ecuador) y el A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution (Moscow, Russia)

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Taraxacum koksaghyz Rodin as an alternative source of natural rubber and inulin; agronomic advances and genetic linkage map

126 p. El contenido del capítulo 3 está sujeto a confidencialidad.

Flower abscission and fruit set on table grapes (Vitis vinifera L.): unraveling physiological and molecular mechanisms

Doutoramento em Engenharia Agronómica - Instituto Superior de Agronomia - UL